Bed attached appliance for holding slippers or the like



Oct. 5, 1954 M. F. GAMBLE 2,690,571

BED ATTACHED APPLIANCE FOR HOLDING SLIPPERS OR THE LIKE Filed Feb. 14,1952 PIC-1.2.

INVENTOR MORGAN F GAMBLE BY B,

ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 5, 1954 -"AT N T F F I C E BED ATTACHED APPLIANCEFOR HOLDING SLIPPERS OR THE LIKE 1 Claim.

My invention relates to a shoe or slipper support.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a shoe or slippersupportadapted for attachment to the side rail of a bed or the like, andadjustable so that the slippers may be shifted to a stowed positionbeneath the bed and to a readily accessible position outwardly of theside of the bed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a support of theabove-mentioned character which will eliminate the usual inconveniencecaused by having no definite storage place for the slippers in thebedroom, and by having them kicked under the bed, or the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide a support of theabove-mentioned character which is novel and simplified in construction,extremely inexpensive to manufacture, and unobjectionable as anattachment for any bed.

A still further object is to provide a shoe or slipper support of theabove-mentioned character which can be conveniently operated from thebed for shifting the slippers to the stowed or accessible positions.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent duringthe course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and inwhich like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout thesame,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my support and showing the same mountedupon a side rail of a bed and supporting a slipper in a readilyaccessible position, parts in section,

Figure 2 is a further side elevation of the support with the slippersomitted and taken at right angles to- Figure 1, and looking at the sideof the bed rail, part broken away,

Figure 3 is a horizontal cross section on line 33 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section on line 3-4 ofFigure 2, and,

Figure 5 is a plan view of the device showing the same in the innerposition.

In the drawings, where for the purpose of illustration is shown apreferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral I0 designates one siderail of a bed, having a horizontal slat bar or rail H, rigidly securedto its inner side, adjacent to its lower longitudinal edge, forsupporting the usual horizontal transverse slats l2, upon which amattress I3 is supported.

My support comprises a substantially rigid C- shaped bracket l4,including upper and lower horizontal extensions or arms l5 and I6, whichare outwardly directed with respect to the mattress l3. The upperextension 15 is adapted to rest upon the slat bar I i as shown, and thelower extension I6 is spaced a slight distance below the bar II. Thevertical portion of the bracket M is spaced a slight dlistance inwardlyof the slat bar H, for accommodating between it and the slat bar anelongated vertical operating rod or crank ll, which engages slidably invertically aligned openings I8, formed in the extensions l5 and I6,inwardly of the slat oar H. The operating rod Hi extends a substantialdistance above and below the bracket Id, as shown, and carries a fixedcollar or snap ring [9, engaging the top of the bracket M, to preventdownward movement of the operating rod ii. A short transverse extensionor handle 29 is rigidly secured to the top of the rod ii and preferablyformed integral therewith. This handle is adapted to lie parallel to theadjacent longitudinal edge of the mattress it when the slippers are inthe stowed or readily accessible positions, as will be furtherdescribed.

A clamping set screw 2| is mounted within a screw-threaded openingformed in the lower extension !8 and engages the lower side of the slatbar II for firmly clamping the bracket M to the slat bar. The operatingrod E? is freely rotatable within the openings I8, and extends upwardlyfrom the bracket 14 through the space between the adjacent longitudinaledge of the mattress l3 and the side rail Ill. The handle 26} isdisposed above the side rail in and below the top surface of themattress, as shown in Figure 1.

The lower end of the operating rod i'l terminates a substantial distancebelow the side rail H), but is spaced a substantial distance from thefloor. The lower end of the rod H is screw threaded as shown at 22 forreceiving upper and lower lock nuts 23 and 24 and upper and lower flatwashers 25 are also mounted upon the lower end of the rod ll, betweenthe lock nuts. These washers 25 bear against the upper and lower sidesof a wire loop 26, formed at the inner end of a horizontal arm 21,constituting an integral part of a shoe or slipper support member orbody portion 28. The support member 28 further comprises opposedhorizontal sections or arms 29, integrally secured to the outer end ofthe arm 21 and bent at their outer ends to form upwardly inclinedsections 39. The inclined sections 30 slope outwardly or away from theside rail I0, Figure 1, and have their upper ends terminating somewherenear the elevation of the extension l6 and below the lower longitudinaledge of the rail 10. The inclined sections 30 are preferably bowedoutwardly as shown in Figure 3 to accommodate the heel portions of theslippers when such portions are resting upon the horizontal arms 29. Thesupport member 28 further comprises parallel horizontal open loops 3!,integrally secured to the tops of the extensions 30 and projectinglaterally outwardly of the side rail for a substantial distance, asshown in Figure 1. The loops 3| are disposed at an elevation below thelower longitudinal edge of the side rail I0 and the loops are adapted toenter the shoes or slippers in the manner shown in Figure 1 to supportthe same while their heel portions engage the horizontal arms 25,inwardly of the inclined sections 30. The arm 2'! and the slippersupporting loops 3| are parallel and arranged at right angles to thevertical operating rod 11.

In use, the device is mounted upon the slat bar I l in the manner shownand described and while the lock nuts 23 and 24 are somewhat loose, thesupport member 28 is adjusted until the arm 2'! is perpendicular to theside rail Ii], while the handle 20 is lying parallel to the adjacentlongitudinal edge of the mattress 13. The nuts 23 and 24 are nowtightened and the loop 26 is tightly clamped between the washers 25,whereby the support member 28 is rigidly secured to the operating rod orcrank 11.

With the device thus mounted upon the bed and adjusted, the shoes orslippers may be applied to the loops 3| in the manner shown. While thehandle 20 is in the position shown in Figures 1 and 2, the slippers willbe supported outwardly of the side rail l0, and at an elevation near andbelow the lower longitudinal edge of the side rail. In this position,the slippers are readily accessible to the wearer who is leaving the bedand it is not necessary to fumble on the floor or under the bed for theslippers, as is usually necessary.

Upon returning to the bed, or upon retiring, the slippers are againplaced upon the loops 3| while the support member 28 is extendingoutwardly of the rail l0 and the handle 20 is now grasped and turned afull 180 degrees clockwise, as viewed from the top of Figure 1. Thiswill swing the support member 28 and the slippers horizontally under theside rail IE1 so that the entire support member 28 and slippers aredisposed under the mattress and inwardly of the slat bar I I. The arm 27will now be perpendicular to the side rail l0 and extending transverselyinwardly thereof, as will the loops 3|. The handle 2t will again beparallel to the longitudinal edge of the mattress but extending in theopposite direction to that shown in Figures 1 and 2. The handle 20 isconveniently operated by a person lying on the bed or from outside ofthe bed, as desired. The device in no way interferes with the normal useof the bed, and when the slippers are swung to their stowed positionsunder the mattress, most of the attachment is concealed from view. It isto be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and thatvarious changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may beresorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention, or thescope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A slipper holding attachment for a bedstead having a side rail, saidattachment comprising a generally horizontal portion formed from a rodwhich is bent to produce the different portions of the generallyhorizontal portion, said generally horizontal portion including asubstantially horizontal longitudinal arm including longitudinal armsections and an eye at the rear end of the arm sections, substantiallyhorizontal transverse arm sections formed upon the forward ends of thelongitudinal arm sections and extending laterally and outwardly beyondsame, upstanding portions carried by the outer ends of the transversearms and projecting above the transverse arms, substantially horizontalloops carried by the upper ends of the upstanding portions and arrangedforwardly of the transverse arms and at an elevation above the same,said loops having their forward ends closed, said loops being adaptedfor insertion within the slippers for engagement with the tops of theslippers and the heels resting upon the transverse arms, a substantiallyvertical rod having its lower end passing through the eye, means fordetachably connecting the rod with the eye including elements carried bythe rod and arranged above and below the eye for clamping engagementwith the eye, and a bracket to be mounted upon the rail and havingopening means to pivotally receive the rod.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 518,733 Cook Apr. 24, 1894 792,128 Haverstick June 13, 19051,028,932 Collins June 11, 1912 1,231,452 Sword June 26, 1917 1,310,281Clark July 15, 1919 2,294,607 Peck Sept. 1, 1942

